The present invention generally relates to a yieldable motor vehicle outside mirror and more particularly to a yieldable mirror which can be moved between an operating position and a garage position against a side of a vehicle.
In the case of an outside mirror as disclosed by German Patent Specification 3,613,878, two swivel axes are positioned virtually parallel to an outside surface of the vehicle to permit the mirror housing to yield forwards and backwards in the event of a collision in the manner of a swing door. In this arrangement, the rear swivel axis, in the direction of travel, is located immoveably with respect to the mirror base and the front swivel axis is located immoveably with respect to the mirror housing The mirror base itself is provided with an aerodynamic casing
A disadvantage with the above-noted outside mirror construction is that, when it is desirable to pivot the mirror housing in a horizontal plane in the direction opposite to the forward direction of travel of the vehicle until it contacts the vehicle body (garage position), it returns to the initial position (operating position), and does not stay in the garage position of its own accord due to the restoring force of the spring.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a yieldable outside mirror of simple construction capable of maintaining a garage position of the mirror housing yet in the operating position the mirror housing can still yield forwards and backwards in the event of a collision.
Advantages which can be achieved by preferred embodiments of the present invention are that the mirror housing can be swivelled into the garage position and stays readily in this position, allowing, for example, driving through a narrow space to thereby reduce the risk of a collision by the reduced width of the vehicle.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.